‘THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED TO LOVE HOCKEY’: Coyotes’ Dakota Mermis had an eventful summer ‘back home‘

Eventful summer ‘back home’ for Coyotes’ Mermis

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

Updated
4:59 pm CDT, Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Dakota Mermis works out Monday at the East Alton Ice Arena. Mermis, an Alton High grad, plays in the Arizona Coyotes organization and last season split time between the Coyotes and their AHL affiliateTucson Roadrunners.

Dakota Mermis works out Monday at the East Alton Ice Arena. Mermis, an Alton High grad, plays in the Arizona Coyotes organization and last season split time between the Coyotes and their AHL affiliateTucson

Dakota Mermis works out Monday at the East Alton Ice Arena. Mermis, an Alton High grad, plays in the Arizona Coyotes organization and last season split time between the Coyotes and their AHL affiliateTucson Roadrunners.

Dakota Mermis works out Monday at the East Alton Ice Arena. Mermis, an Alton High grad, plays in the Arizona Coyotes organization and last season split time between the Coyotes and their AHL affiliateTucson

‘THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED TO LOVE HOCKEY’: Coyotes’ Dakota Mermis had an eventful summer ‘back home‘

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EAST ALTON — The sounds were unmistakably hockey sounds.

Under the banners of local high school teams, including his own Alton Redbirds, Dakota Mermis took pucks fed by his dad, Bil Mermis, and skated in and out of rubber tires and sticks on the ice. Forward, backward, sideways. He rocketed slapshots and zigged and zagged, sending ice sprays arcing high into the air.

To Dakota Mermis, they were the sounds of his people - hockey people.

Summer meant a trip home this summer, trips to the gym, trips to the rink - and a trip down the aisle.

Mermis, the pride of Alton hockey, spent last season splitting time between the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes and their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. And while the majority of that time was in the AHL, he’s preparing for the NHL team’s upcoming training camp with an eye on reversing that in 2018.

“I was on the line between (Tucson) and Phoenix,” said Mermis following a workout Monday at the East Alton Ice Arena. “You really have to go in with the idea that you can make it. Camp starts in October, but you have to be fit when camp opens or you’re behind.”

And so, Mermis, 24, spent much of his summer training in East Alton.

And getting married.

Mermis and Sarah Tassinari were married this summer in St. Louis, which admittedly was a big reason for their extended stay. It was a whirlwind eight weeks, that included the wedding, a honeymoon and their first home as a married couple in his new in-laws’ basement.

Tuesday, they loaded their pickup, hooked up the U-Haul and headed back west to Phoenix.

“We’re going to be in the Phoenix area getting ready for training camp,” Mermis said. “Until I know for sure where I’ll be playing, it’s kind of tough to know where we will live permanently and that’s hard on Sarah.”

The new Sarah Mermis holds a doctorate in physical therapy. She is a graduate of Marquette Catholic High, where she played on the 2011 state championship soccer team.

Dakota Mermis was the 2012 Telegraph Prep Hockey Player of the Year. In 2017-18, he was called up twice by the parent Coyotes and saw action in nine games, including one on Nov. 9 at the Scottrade Center against the St. Louis Blues, his childhood NHL favorite team.

Mermis signed a standard three-year entry level contract with the Coyotes in July 0f 2015.

“Every little who plays hockey dreams of playing in the NHL someday,” Mermis said at the time. “It’s been a weird journey.”

One that continues.

Prior to signing his entry level contract with the Coyotes, Mermis spent the previous three years playing in the Ontario Hockey League and helped lead the Oshawa General to the Memorial Cup championship - the Stanley Cup of junior hockey.

Six years ago, Dakota and older brother Jarrod Mermis spent time together playing at the University of Denver.

At age 16, Dakota had been appointed to the prestigious U.S. National Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., playing for the under-17 team when older brother Jarrod, also a former Alton High Redbirds player, began his career at the University of Denver.

Dakota was selected to the U.S. Hockey Developmental program and he made the decision to leave Alton and pursue his dream following his sophomore year at Alton High. He attended high schools in Green Bay, Wisconsin and in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He stayed with host families in in the towns his teams were based in for a shot at someday getting a chance to play in the National Hockey League.

Even though he technically graduated from Ashwaubenon High in Green Bay, Alton High officials allowed him to walk through the graduation ceremony at AHS that year.

Monday, he put in a final 90-minute workout session at the place where it all started - the East Alton Ice Arena.

“This is where I learned to skate,” Mermis said Monday. “It’s where I learned to love hockey and where I first played. It’s a special place and I’ll always love it.”

He recalled watching his first favorite hockey team play in front of sellout crowds. And it wasn’t the St. Louis Blues, either.